Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

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  • Impulse reading

    Browsing the fiction stacks at the local library, I stumbled on this collection of 1940s era crime novels by female authors. They are interesting products of their time, each story focused deeply on the inner life of the characters, and two of them told from the point of view of the criminal. World War II is a backdrop. Some characters are veterans, others are coping with the challenges of gas and food rationing, a thing I had forgotten about that complicated people’s lives at that time. In “Laura,” author Vera Caspary uses multiple viewpoints and a surprising twist on the mistaken-identity trope for a very satisfying read. In “The Blank Wall,” Elisabeth Sanxay Holding presents a morality tale where a criminal’s behavior has more to recommend it than the morally upright mother of two around whom the action swirls. I’m glad to know these authors and these stories. I like being aware of how narratives shift as culture shifts. Thanks Sarah Weinman for pulling these stories together. Weinman, whose web site is a great compendium of crime stories, has another anthology of ’50s-era novels that is also on my list.

  • A gem of a website

    https://www.criminalelement.com/

    Found a fine website devoted to informing the fans of crime fiction. Its information includes looks back at the beginnings of the genre forward to contemporary reads. Here’s what the web site’s authors say about their goal: We are dedicated to bringing you a wide range of crime-related content—from the coziest mystery to the most hardcore noir and everything in between. We are publisher-neutral in our selection of books, authors, and materials for coverage and discussion.

    I like what I’ve seen so far, particularly the bios of some of the early practitioners of the genre. Happy browsing

  • Power of self knowledge

    Every year when November rolls around, I have this internal argument that goes like this: I will jump in and do “National Novel Writing Month.” I will finish my novel. Sure I have 40,000 or 60,000 words to go but no problem! I can do it. Then the other side of my brain, says, Hold on there, sister. When it comes to writing you’re a walker, not a sprinter. I am ever-so-slightly oriented toward procrastination and pondering NaNoWriMo always gives me this energy jolt of thinking I can make up for time lost to day-dreaming, dancing, drawing and other things that keep me from the keyboard. I have done NaNoWriMo at least once. I have started NaNoWriMo at least twice. I would not dissuade others from trying it, and it is especially useful for those who struggle to get anything down on the page. But I do better mentally as the tortoise not the hare. And I am happily plodding along with my current project. This month, I wrote 5,000 words. I did not have the adrenaline rush that can come with a massive word-dump. But I also had some great thinking time. There are many people extolling the virtue of more deliberative processes (examples here and here). Slow work is my current comfort zone. So if you are someone who got buzzed on NaNoWriMo but didn’t get as far as you dreamed you would, take a moment to be grateful for the work you did do. Add a little cheery note to your “got done” list and keep on keepin’ on.